Greggs said its shift towards healthier products and trending drinks helped lift sales, with the bakery chain reporting a 20% rise in profit in the first half of the year. The UK's largest fast-food chain said total sales topped £1.1 billion for the 26 weeks to the end of June, up 7.2% from the same period a year earlier, while pre-tax profit rose to £76.0m from £63.5m in the first six months of 2025.
Chief executive Roisin Currie said the company was “broadening and innovating our menu in line with changing tastes and trends”. Greggs launched a range of new products this year, many of them linked to current trends such as high-protein salads and matcha, as it tries to appeal to new customer groups while protecting sales.
Why is Greggs changing its menu?
Greggs is changing its menu to meet shifting consumer preferences and to capture demand for products seen as healthier or more fashionable. Currie previously told the rise of weight-loss drugs has led customers to look for “smaller portions”, which could affect the chain’s bottom line.
The company relaunched its salad range in May, “adding protein and increased choice for customers”. It is also trying to appeal to “new and younger customers” through its new iced matcha lattes, and to health-conscious consumers by making nutritional information on its labels clearer.
How many new stores has Greggs opened?
Greggs, which has more UK outlets than McDonald's, opened 34 stores in the first half of 2026. That took its total estate to 2,773 once 31 store closures are taken into account.
More than half of the new openings were in areas with no Greggs stores within a mile. A similar proportion opened away from the High Street in locations including petrol forecourts, supermarkets, retail parks, hospitals and university campuses, the company said.
Currie said Greggs is monitoring customer behaviour to ensure new stores increase visits “without cannibalising existing shop sales”.
Will prices rise again?
Greggs said no further price rises are planned after its breakfast, lunch and “big” deals went up in May, following multiple increases last year.
“Our prices are in a good place and we will now be working hard to protect the consumer and making sure that we can offer that value throughout the rest of the year,” she said.
What do analysts say about Greggs' performance?
Susannah Streeter, chief investment strategist at Wealth Club, said the results showed that “there's still healthy appetite for affordable treats” even as many consumers become more health-conscious.
“It's also proving nimble at keeping pace with the latest food trends, showing it can compete with far more premium cafes.
The iced matcha latte has emerged as one of the hits of its latest menu revamp, demonstrating that the bakery chain can blend social media-inspired tastes with its trademark value offering.”
She added, however, that the company is warning investment in expanding its supply chain will weigh on profits for the rest of 2026 unless customer confidence improves.
Julie Palmer, managing partner at BTG Consulting, said Greggs has proved resilient against “weight-loss drugs, low spending and confidence, and rising employment and business costs”.
“After a summer of sport, beer gardens and heatwaves, Greggs will be banking on autumn and winter seeing demand for its hot pastries and convenient on-the-go products returning.
Keeping prices low and continuing to expand product ranges to meet changing food trends will be key to luring people back into its vast number of stores to achieve this.”
What is Greggs planning next?
Last year Currie addressed questions about whether “peak Greggs” had been reached after its rapid expansion, saying “we have gone out...to demonstrate that this is not the case”.
The group is targeting around 100 to 110 net new shops in 2026 and trialling a “bitesize” format and a self-service “Greggs Express” format. Its store numbers could go as high as 3,500.
Greggs said its expectations for the full-year outcome were unchanged, with 2026 underlying pre-tax profit expected to be at a similar level to 2025's £172m.
The chain had already said higher costs from investment in new stores were expected to reduce second-half profit year on year.
It added that 6.9% of sales now come from home delivery. Greggs described that as an “opportunity” for growth and said customers tend to spend three times as much on home deliveries as they do in store.
Key Facts
- Total sales topped £1.1 billion in the 26 weeks to the end of June, up 7.2% year on year.
- Pre-tax profit for the first half of 2026 was £76.0m, up from £63.5m in the first six months of 2025.
- Greggs opened 34 stores in the first half of 2026, taking its total to 2,773 after 31 closures.
- The company expects 2026 underlying pre-tax profit to be similar to 2025's £172m.
- Home delivery now accounts for 6.9% of sales, with customers spending about three times more than in store.
